The Farsons story goes back to the 1880s when the well-known English brewers, Simonds of Reading, UK set up an operation in Malta to cater for the needs of the many thousands of British soldiers and sailors stationed in Malta. More than a century later, the English brewing tradition is still very much alive within Farsons, and it is a heritage that the company is proud of to this day.

In order to cope with the ever-increading demand for beer, the Simonds establishment in Malta merged with local brewers L. Farrugia & Sons in 1928, and Simonds Farsons Limited was born.

Some years later, in the 1940s, unable to cope with local and international demand, Simonds Farsons Limited joined forces with the Malta Export Brewery, another local brewer, and Simonds Farsons Cisk Limited was created.

It has been said that the Malta Export Brewery was originally established with the help of well-known German brewers, Augustiner Brau of Munich. This explains the fusion of an English brewing heritage, complemented by a continental European brewing style situated on the popular island of Malta.

This unique British-European combination and Mediterranean heritage have bestowed upon the brewery the beer craft-making skills and determination to produce fine beers which retain the same original character and distinctive flavour of the first brews of some of Farsons' most well-respected and historic brands such as Cisk Lager and Hopleaf Pale Ale. Indeed, the taste and character of Cisk or Hopleaf today has remained unchanged since the 1920s.